Pre-assembled elevator shaft

ABSTRACT

An elevator is provided which has a drive which in effective connection with a cable over deflection sheaves moves an elevator cabin running in a self-supporting shaft scaffold, as well as a counterweight in upward and downward directions, wherein deflection sheaves, drive sheaves as well as guide elements are combined in pre-assembled mounting units which can be quickly and easily assembled in the place of use. In addition, the elevator includes a drive which lifts and/or lowers an elevator cabin as well as a counterweight by at least one bending-flabby means guided over an arrangement of deflection sheaves, wherein the drive is incorporated into the arrangement of deflection sheaves as an element deflecting the bending-flabby means.

The present invention pertains to cable elevators.

Elevator systems in which the elevator cabin is lifted or lowered bycables are sufficiently known. A common way of action therein lies inarranging the required elements, like guide rails for the elevator cabinas well as deflection sheaves for the cables etc. within an elevatorshaft. This way of action is not only quite expensive as a plurality ofindividual elements have to be transferred to the respective mountingposition, have to be arranged there individually and have to beconnected with the remaining elements of the elevator, but also isessentially unsuitable for the subsequent equipment of old buildingswith elevator systems, as no elevator shafts at all are existing inwhich the individual elements of the elevator system to be assembledcould be arranged.

In order to be able to erect an elevator or to subsequently equip thehousing with such one in spite of the lacking elevator shaft, the U.S.Pat. No. 3,880,258 provides that a self-supporting shaft scaffold iserected out of vertical and horizontal and vertical beams by plugginginto one another individual modules consisting of vertical andhorizontal beams step-by-step, i.e. one above the other, whereby aself-supporting shaft scaffold is created. On this self-supporting shaftscaffold the guide rails are fixed from the inside. These guide rails,however, only have a guide function. A load-reducing function is nottaken over by the guide rails in this construction. Such erection of aself-supporting shaft scaffold thus is comparatively expensive inmaterial and work, since after erection of the complete shaft anadditional working cycle for fixation of the guide rails is required.

It, therefore, is the object of the present invention to create anelevator system which is independent from an elevator shaft provided forin a housing, which can be easily manufactured as well as beingassembled economically and which in spite of the reduced materialexpense for the manufacture of the supporting structure also is flexiblein particular in arrangeability of the drive or also the cable sheaves,for e.g. answering the most different installation demands inmodernization projects.

An elevator apparatus is provided for in which the essential elementsfor operating the elevator, including the cable guide, deflectionsheaves and drives are assembled in module-shaped mounting frames. Inaccordance with the present invention, these mounting units therein canbe connected to form a self-supporting shaft scaffold which can be heldon a house wall. The guide elements for the cabin and the guide elementsfor the counterweight form vertical beams of the shaft scaffold. Byconnecting them with the mounting frames forming the horizontal beams ofthe shaft scaffold, a self-supporting shaft scaffold is created with lowmaterial expense.

Simultaneously there are good possibilities for adaptation to therespective individual installment situation. Thus, e.g. in adaptation tothe respective individual case it can be chosen which mounting frame isto be the one which accommodates the drive. In addition, there aremanifold possibilities to individually define in which way and mannerthe respective elevator components, the drive and the cable sheaves areto be mounted on the mounting frame. Thus, there is the possibility ofmounting within as well as outside of the shaft cross-section borderedby the module-shaped mounting elements. Simultaneously, such aself-supporting shaft scaffold for an elevator can serve as supportelement for a protective lining in that lining plates are mountedthereon.

The module-shaped mounting elements therein preferably are delivered aspre-assembled units to the place of installation and are assembled only.

Further features and advantages of the present invention result from thefollowing description of the attached drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view onto an embodiment of the present invention withtwo disc engines located on bottom;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view onto another embodiment of the present inventionwith gear;

FIG. 4 is a top view onto another embodiment of the present inventionwith gear;

FIG. 5 is a top view onto another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view of a cable sheave in accordance with one ofthe embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5 with integrated disc brake;

FIG. 7 is a detailed side view of a cable sheave in accordance with oneof the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5 with integrated emergency brake; and

FIG. 8 is a top view onto the cable sheave of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is the schematic view of an embodiment of an elevator with adrive disposed in the elevator shaft;

FIG. 10 is a top view onto the embodiment of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 11 and 12 are schematic side views of further embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a detailed view of a drive unit as used in the embodimentsunder FIGS. 1 to 4, and

FIGS. 14 to 17 are further embodiments of elevators with drive unitslocated in the elevator shaft, of another kind than that shown in FIGS.1 to 13.

FIG. 1 shows a top view onto an embodiment of the present invention, inwhich an elevator cabin 1 provided with sliding doors 2, arranged andguided within a self-supporting shaft scaffold consisting of verticallyextending segmented guide elements 3 for said cabin 1, also verticallyextending segmented guide elements 4 for a counterweight 5 and as wellas of module-shaped mounting frames 6 preferably manufactured of sheetsbent in U-shape and open to bottom, by which said guide elements 3 and 4can be connected, preferably screwed or welded together. Said mountingframes 6 therein can be located in arbitrary vertical position on saidguide elements 3 and 4, on the intersecting points of the individualsegments of said vertical guide elements in particular for connectionthereof. At or in said module elements 6, driving disks 7 as well ascable sheaves 8 and 9 can be pre-assembled, which serve for driving andguiding the cable or flat band (not shown) required for lifting andlowering said elevator cabin 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 thetwo opposing driving disks 7 are made rotate using a full floating axle(not shown) or hollow shaft, which can be embodied with gear, withoutgear, as ring engine, special engine, flat engine or any other possibledrive unit, wherein said drive a/o. can be disposed e.g. vertically onor in said shaft wall or house wall in front of which said shaftscaffold is mounted.

FIG. 2 shows a partial side view of the embodiment to be taken from FIG.1 of the present invention. Corresponding elements therein are providedwith corresponding reference numbers. From FIG. 2 the connection inparticular of the individual segments of the said vertical guideelements 3 and 4 by said module elements 6 can be taken, said segmentsof said guide elements 3 and 4 engaging at the working face like grooveand tongue and being fixed to said mounting frame 6 using fixation meanslike screws 11 or the like. Therein FIG. 2 shows a so-called 1:1embodiment. I.e. the loads (the cabin and the counterweight) to belifted or lowered, respectively, each are fixed to one end of said flatbelt or cable. Neither cabin nor the counterweight are suspended inblock and pulley (no block and pulley effect is realized). A drive notshown which acts on said driving disks in accordance with the embodimentunder FIG. 1 is disposed in the area of said lower mounting frame 6together with said driving disks 7. I.e. here the embodiment “drive onbottom” is realized.

A drive (not shown) which in accordance with the embodiment under FIG. 1acts onto said driving disks 7 can in modification of the embodimentshown in FIGS. 1 and 2 be arranged in the most different positions ofthe shaft scaffold formed by said guide elements 3 and 4 and saidmounting frame 6, i.e. on the lower mounting frame 6 and on the uppermounting frame 6 as well as also on a further mounting frame possibly tobe provided for as well as within or outside of the elevator shaftformed by said shaft scaffold.

FIG. 2a shows a partial side view of an embodiment which came intoexistence from a modification of FIG. 1. In this embodiment the 1:1principle is realized. However, the drive 7′ not shown, now is arrangedon said upper mounting frame together with said driving disks, theprinciple “drive on top” is realized.

A further modification is shown in FIG. 2b. Here, the drive not shown aswell as driving disks 7″ again are disposed on said lower mounting frame(principle “drive on bottom”), but here the so-called 2:1 principle isrealized. Both ends of the elevator cable or flat belt are fixed to thebuilding. Said elevator cabin as well as said counterweight aresuspended in block and pulley, i.e. the so-called block and pulleyeffect is made use of.

FIG. 2c shows a further modification. This embodiment as well worksunder the so-called 2:1 principle. In this embodiment, however, thedrive not shown together with the relating driving disks 7″ again islocated in said upper mounting frame 6, i.e. the principle “drive ontop” is realized.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 the engine is located outside of theelevator shaft formed by said shaft scaffold of the kind as describedwith respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein, however, also arrangements ofthe drive 12 in the middle between said two driven driving disks 7 or inany other arbitrary position between said driving disks 7 are possible.The embodiment of FIG. 3 differs from the embodiment also with respectto the number as well as the arrangement of said cable sheaves 13 to 16via which again the cable or flat belt required for lifting and loweringsaid cabin 1 as well as said counterweight 5 is guided.

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the present invention. Indifference to the embodiments under FIG. 3 said cable sheaves 16 aresubstituted for by a cable sheave 17 fixed to said counterweight 5. Thedrive again is effected using driving disks 7 which are driven by ashaft 18 connecting them, said drive being arranged in the middlebetween said driving disks 7 on said shaft 18. In the embodiment shownin FIG. 3 the drive 12 therein is seated in the area of a lower mountingframe 6. It also is conceivable to arrange said drive 12 in the area ofsaid upper mounting unit 6 which together with said guide elements 3 and4 as well as said upper mounting units 6 form said shaft scaffold forthe elevator.

FIG. 5 in schematic view shows an embodiment in accordance with theinvention, in which said elevator cabin 1 is arranged in rucksack-likemanner in front of the means of up- and downward movement of saidelevator cabin 1. All means for moving said elevator cabin 1 as well assaid counterweight 5 in upward and downward direction within saidelevator shaft la therein are combined in a mounting unit 6 which can beflatly disposed in front of the rear wall of said elevator shaft,wherein in FIG. 5 only said driving disk 7 is shown schematically. Saiddriving disk 7 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 instead of a drivingdisk can also be a ring engine. However, a drive with gear also isconceivable, wherein drive and/or gear are located in the rear wall ofsaid elevator shaft 1 a and wherein the perforated plate principle ismade use of.

FIG. 6 in schematic way shows a cable sheave 19 mounted in a mountingframe 6. On said mounting frame 6 in addition a preferably regulatedcable brake 20 is arranged which runs in mesh with a brake disk 21 fixedto said cable sheave 19.

FIG. 7 in schematic way shows a cable sheave 22 rotatably arranged on amounting frame 6 and preferably protruding upwardly through an opening23 in the latter. Brake blocks 24 are disposed on both sides of saidopening 23. In case of axial failure of said cable sheave 22 the latteris pulled in upward direction by the load of the elevator acting on saidcables 25 into contact with said brake blocks 24 such that emergencybraking of the elevator is effected. FIG. 8 shows a top view onto thearrangement under FIG. 7.

The further figures elucidate advantageous measurements for arrangingthe drive. Therein the drive can always be fixed outside of the “shaftcross-section” defined by said mounting frame, when the demand ofoptimum utilization of space requires fixation within the shaftcross-section defined by said mounting frame. Said mounting frames andsaid guide rails therefore will not be shown in the following, as thedifferent manners of fixation are known to the expert.

FIG. 9 in a side view shows an elevator system with an elevator cabin 1h which is guided in lateral guides not shown, within said elevatorshaft. Said elevator cabin 1 h in accordance with the embodiment shownin FIG. 9 is lifted and lowered using a drive 3 h which may be aso-called flat engine, a disk engine or a driving disk. The drivetherein acts on a cable or flat belt 4 h which, as shown, is anchoredwith both ends 4 h 1 and 4 h 2 at the ceiling of said elevator shaft(2:1 principle). Said cable or flat belt 4 h therein runs from its firstanchoring point 4 h 1 on the ceiling of said elevator shaft over a firstsheave 5 h located below said elevator cabin 1 h to a second sheave 6 halso located below said elevator cabin 1 h and from there to a sheave 7h disposed below the ceiling of said elevator shaft. Said cable or flatbelt 4 h again is deflected by said sheave 7 h and is guided within saidelevator shaft in downward direction to said drive 3 h and again isguided around the latter, wherein looping of said drive 3 h ofapproximately three quarters of the circumference can be achieved by acorrespondingly arranged further deflection sheave 8 h. From said sheave8 h said cable or flat belt 4 h again leads in upward direction to adeflection sheave 9 h also disposed below the ceiling of said elevatorshaft and from there horizontally to a further deflection sheave 10 h.From said deflection sheave 10 h said cable or flat belt 4 h is guidedin downward direction to a deflection sheave 12 h located at acounterweight 11 h, wherefrom said cable or flat belt 4 h again leads inupward direction to said second fixation point 4 h 2 on the ceiling ofsaid elevator shaft.

FIG. 10 shows the same elements as FIG. 1, but in top view onto thearrangement.

In FIG. 11 an alternative embodiment of the course of said cables orflat belts for upward and downward movement of said elevator cabin 1 kis shown (also 2:1 principle). Herein, the axes of rotation of said flatengine 3 k as well as of said deflection sheave 8 k being in directefficiency contact with said flat engine 3 k are arranged at right angleto the axis of rotation of the deflections sheaves 5 k and 6 k disposedon the bottom side of said elevator cabin as well as to the axis ofrotation of said deflection sheave 12 k on said counterweight 11 k aswell as to the axis of rotation of said deflection sheaves 13 k and 14 kin operation rotating in opposite directions. In the modification shownin FIG. 11 of the course of said cable or flat belt 4 k for lifting andlowering said elevator cabin 1 k one deflection sheave has been saved ascompared to the embodiment under FIG. 9 as said deflection sheaves 7 k,9 k and 10 k of FIGS. 9 and 10 are substituted for by deflection sheaves13 k and 14 k under FIG. 11.

FIG. 12 shows a further modification of the course of said cable or flatbelt 41 for lifting and lowering said elevator cabin 1 l (also 2:1principle). Herein, the orientation of the axes of rotation of said flatengine 3 l as well as of said deflection sheaves 5 l, 6 l, 8 l, 12 l, 13l and 14 l is in the same direction. Said deflections sheaves as well assaid flat engine therein preferably are located in the same plane, thispermitting a flat and room-saving arrangement out of flat engine andcounterweight outside of the area of said elevator cabin itself.

FIG. 13 in schematic view shows the possible arrangement of said flatengine 3 m as well as the relating deflection sheave 8 m, as shown inthe embodiments in accordance with FIGS. 9 to 12, in a possiblepositioning within a breakingthrough of an elevator shaft wall 15 m,wherein said breaking-through in the shown embodiment is provided with abordering profiled frame 16 m. The arrangement of flat engine 3 m anddeflection sheave 8 m in said elevator shaft wall 15 m can therein beprovided for on the level of the underground floor or any other floor.Alternatively thereto, however, a positioning in the lateral door areaon each floor or, however, in a shaft pit in front of said elevatorshaft is conceivable. Said flat engine 3 m therein simultaneously alsoserves as brake.

The embodiment of the preceding FIGS. 9 to 13 having a cable or flatbelt 4 h-m for lifting and lowering said elevator cabin 1 h-m, which isfixed on the ceiling of said elevator shaft with both ends permits anessentially arbitrary arrangement of the individual elements of saidelevator with respect to one another, whereby good accessibility of thedrive units and thus simple assembly as well as maintenance can beguaranteed.

FIG. 14 shows a further embodiment of the invention, in which a drivewith two driving disks 17 n and 18 n separately or commonly driven by aconnecting shaft is provided for. In contrast to the embodiment shown inFIGS. 9 to 13, under the modifications under FIGS. 14 to 16 of a furtherembodiment an elevator cabin is not lifted and lowered by a cable orflat belt fixed with both ends to the ceiling of said elevator shaft andwhich runs over deflection sheaves and a flat drive, but by two cablesor flat belts 27 n 1 and 27 n 2 arranged in mirror-inverted manner withrespect to one another. Therein, the ends respectively are fixed to aframe 19 n on which an elevator cabin is to be suspended as well as to acounterweight 26 n (thus the so-called 1:1 principle is realized).Between these two ends said cables or flat belts, respectively, 27 n 1and 27 n 2 run over said deflection sheaves 21 n and 23 n or 20 n and 22n, respectively to a driving disk 18 n or 19 n and from there over adeflection sheave 25 n or 24 n to said counterweight 26 n. Saiddeflection sheaves 21 n to 25 n therein are fixed under the ceiling ofan elevator shaft not shown, directly or via one or several frames,wherein the axes of rotation of said deflection sheaves 24 n and 25 nover which said cables or flat belts 27 n 1 and 27 n 2 run to saidcounterweight 26 n are arranged at right angle to the course of the axisof rotation of the remaining deflection sheaves 20 n to 23 n.

FIG. 15 essentially shows the same arrangement as can be seen from FIG.14, however, said cables or flat belts 27 p 1 and 27 p 2 leading fromsaid deflection sheaves 20 p and 21 p directly to said driving disks 17p and 18 p, wherein said deflection sheaves 22 n and 23 n can be savedas can be seen from FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 finally shows a further modification of the embodiments underFIGS. 14 and 15, wherein in addition to said deflection sheaves 20 n to25 n to be seen from FIG. 14 (here 20 q to 25 q) further deflectionsheaves 28 q and 29 q are provided for and said deflection sheaves 24 qand 25 q are disposed on the opposite side of said driving disks 17 qand 18 q seen with respect to the frame 19 q, the axis of rotation ofsaid deflection sheaves 24 q and 25 q corresponding to the orientationof the axes of rotation of said deflection sheaves 20 q to 23 q as wellas 28 q and 29 q. Thus, the drive and/or said driving disks,respectively, 17 q and 18 q as well as said counterweight 26 q can bearranged on the opposite sides of said frame 19 q and/or said elevatorcabin, respectively, suspended thereon.

FIG. 17 shows a further embodiment of the invention, a drive 31 s beingarranged on the bottom side of an elevator cabin 1 (guide not shown)guided in an elevator shaft 33 s, said drive acting on a cable or a flatbelt 30 s which is fixed on point 30 s 1 on the ceiling of said elevatorshaft 33 s as well as on point 30 s 2 on the bottom of said elevatorshaft 33 s. For achieving sufficient looping of said drive 31 spreferably embodied as flat engine, an additional deflection sheave 32 sis therein arranged below said elevator cabin 1.

Of course, also a combination of the individual features of the shownembodiments is possible.

What is claimed is:
 1. An elevator comprising: a drive moving anelevator cabin running in a self-supporting shaft scaffold and acounterweight in upward and downward directions in effective connectionwith one or more bending-flabby means guided over deflection sheaves,wherein said shaft scaffold is composed of: vertical segmental guideelements for said elevator cabin and said counterweight; and horizontalmodule-shaped mounting frames connected to said segmental guideelements, said segmental guide elements serving both as verticalguideways for said elevator cabin and said counterweight and as the solevertical support to said shaft scaffold.
 2. The elevator as defined inclaim 1, wherein said drive is arranged within said self-supportingshaft scaffold and lifts and/or lowers the elevator cabin and saidcounterweight in said self-supporting shaft scaffold by saidbending-flabby means guided over an arrangement of deflection sheavesand said drive is integrated into the arrangement of deflection sheavesas an element deflecting said bending-flabby means.
 3. The elevator asdefined in claim 1, wherein said deflection sheaves are mounted in saidmounting frames for lifting and lowering said elevator cabin and saidcounterweight.
 4. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein saidmounting frames are made of squared sheets.
 5. The elevator as definedin claim 1, wherein said segmental guide elements are segmented into aplurality of segments, and said segments are engaged at a working faceformed by a mechanism comprising a female member and a male member witha snug fit there between.
 6. The elevator as defined in claim 5, whereinsaid working face is disposed in the area of said mounting frames, eachrespective mounting frame serving as a connecting element for therespective segments of said guide elements.
 7. The elevator as definedin claim 1, wherein said drive consists of separately driven drivingdisks.
 8. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two ofsaid deflection sheaves are made rotate by a drive by a full floatingaxle or hollow shaft.
 9. The elevator as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid drive is formed with gear.
 10. The elevator as defined in claim 1,wherein said drive is arranged outside of said self-supporting shaftscaffold formed by said mounting frames and said segmental guideelements.
 11. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive isarranged within said self-supporting shaft scaffold formed by saidmounting frames and said segmental guide elements.
 12. The elevator asdefined in claim 1, further comprising a regulated cable brake on atleast one of said mounting frames, the regulated cable brake running inmesh with a brake disk fixed to said deflection sheaves arranged in saidmounting frame.
 13. The elevator as defined in claim 1, furthercomprising an emergency brake coming into engagement with the cablesheave in case of failure of the axis of said deflection sheave arrangedin said mounting frame, on at least one of said mounting frames.
 14. Theelevator as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive is arranged on thelevel of a floor or underground floor exit of said self-supporting shaftscaffold.
 15. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive isarranged in a shaft pit in front of said self-supporting shaft scaffold.16. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive is arrangedon said elevator cabin.
 17. The elevator as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid drive is arranged on said counterweight.
 18. The elevator asdefined in claim 1, wherein said bending-flabby means is a flat belt ora cable.
 19. The elevator as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive isformed without gear.
 20. The elevator as defined in claim 1, whereinsaid drive is formed as a ring engine.
 21. The elevator as defined inclaim 1, wherein said drive is formed as a disk engine.
 22. The elevatoras defined in claim 1, wherein said drive is formed as a flat engine.23. An elevator comprising: a drive moving an elevator cabin running ina self-supporting shaft scaffold and a counterweight in upward anddownward directions in effective connection with one or morebending-flabby means guided over deflection sheaves, wherein said shaftscaffold consists essentially of: vertical segmental guide elements forsaid elevator cabin and said counterweight; and horizontal module-shapedmounting frames connected to said segmental guide elements, saidsegmental guide elements serving both as vertical guideways for saidelevator cabin and said counterweight and as the sole vertical supportto said shaft scaffold.